L2,3 x-ray absorption spectroscopy and multiplet calculations for KMF3 and K2 NaMF6 (M=Ni, Cu)

The electronic structures of nickel and copper have been studied for KMF3 and K2NaMF6 compounds by a-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Ni and Cu L-2.3 edges in order to characterize the M-F chemical bond. The spectral features have been interpreted based on the mixing of two ground-state configurations \3d(n)) +\3d(n+1)](L) under bar. Multiplet calculations were used to simulate each spectrum in order to quantify the charge transfer from fluorine to the transition metal yielding a 40% ground-state contribution of the 3d(8) configuration for K2NaCuF6 and 65% of the 3d(7) configuration for K2NaNiF6

Dynamics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains isolated from vine bark in vineyard: Influence of plant age and strain presence during grape must spontaneous fermentations

In this study, two vineyards of different age were chosen. During three years, a sampling campaign was performed for isolating vineyard-associated Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) strains. Bark portions and, when present, grape bunches were regularly collected from the same vine plants during the overall sampling period. Each bark portion was added to a synthetic must, while each grape bunch was manually crushed, and fermentations were run to isolate S. cerevisiae strains. All collected yeasts were identified at different species and strain levels to evaluate the genetic variability of S. cerevisiae strains in the two vineyards and strains dynamics. Moreover, bark-associated strains were compared with those isolated from spontaneous fermentations of grapes collected during the two harvests. Regarding the youngest vineyard, no S. cerevisiae was identified on bark and grape surface, highlighting the importance of vine age on yeast colonization. Results reported the isolation of S. cerevisiae from vine bark of the old vineyard at all sampling times, regardless of the presence of the grape bunch. Therefore, this environment can be considered an alternative ecological niche that permanently hosts S. cerevisiae. Bark-associated strains were not found on grape bunches and during pilot-scale vinifications, indicating no significative strain transfer from vine bark to the grape must. Commercial starters were identified as well both in vineyards and during vinifications

Determination of the orbital moment and crystal field splitting in LaTiO3_{3}

Utilizing a sum-rule in a spin-resolved photoelectron spectroscopic experiment with circularly polarized light, we show that the orbital moment in LaTiO$_3$ is strongly reduced both below and above the N\'{e}el temperature. Using Ti $L_{2,3}$ x-ray absorption spectroscopy as a local probe, we found that the crystal field splitting in the $t_{2g}$ subshell is about 0.12-0.30 eV. This large splitting does not facilitate the formation of an orbital liquid

Metodologia para padronizar informações climáticas dos cenários futuros no banco de dados geográfico do projeto CLIMAPEST.

Estudos sobre os impactos das mudanças climáticas globais são importantes para atenuar seus possíveis impactos negativos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver metodologia para padronizar as informações fornecidas pelos modelos climáticos globais do Quarto Relatório do IPCC (Painel Intergovernamental sobre Mudanças Climáticas), utilizando métodos de interpolação de dados a fim de que os planos de informação no banco de dados do SIG possuam as mesmas características de resolução espacial e limites geográficos

Avaliação dos cenários futuros na região nordeste do Brasil utilizando modelos climáticos globais: tendências de temperatura.

O Nordeste é a região brasileira mais vulnerável ao aquecimento global. Os modelos climáticos globais são a melhor ferramenta para projetar cenários prováveis de alterações climáticas para o futuro, apesar da incerteza envolvida. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizada uma avaliação da tendência da temperatura média nos cenários futuros previstos pelos modelos climáticos globais do IPCC para região Nordeste do Brasil. Foi realizada uma análise estatística básica dos dados de comparação entre os modelos. Foi possível agrupar os modelos em 5 grupos, desde modelos estimando temperaturas médias comparativamente inferiores em todos os meses a outros com valores superiores em todos os meses

Influence of the mannoproteins of different strains of Starmerella bacillaris used in single and sequential fermentations on foamability, tartaric and protein stabilities of wines

Aim: In this work, seven strains of Starmerella bacillaris were analysed for their ability to release polysaccharides during alcoholic fermentation (AF), both in single-strain and in sequential AF together with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Methods and results: A synthetic polysaccharide-free must was used to characterise the mannoproteins (MPs) released. The MPs were quantified, characterised in terms of carbohydrate composition, and tested to assess their ability to reduce protein and tartrate instabilities and their ability to affect the foaming properties of wine. Conclusions: All the tested strains in sequential AF increased the total MPs production. Moreover, the strains affected the MPs properties in different ways regarding tartaric and protein stabilities. The MPs released in sequential AF by some S. bacillaris strains showed a significant effect on protein stabilisation and tartaric stability. An effect on the foamability was found for MPs obtained in single-strain AFs of S. bacillaris

Dyads of G-Quadruplex Ligands Triggering DNA Damage Response and Tumour Cell Growth Inhibition at Subnanomolar Concentration

Naphthalene diimide (NDI) dyads exhibiting a different substitution pattern and linker length have been synthesised and evaluated as G-quadruplex (G4) ligands, by investigating their cytotoxicity in selected cell lines. The dyads with the long C7 linker exhibit extremely low IC50 values, below 10\u2005nm, on different cancer cell lines. Contrary, the dyads with the shorter C4 linker were much less effective, with IC values increasing up to 1\u2005\u3bcm. Among the three dyads with the longest linker, small differences in the IC50 values emerge, suggesting that the linker length plays a more important role than the substitution pattern. We have further shown that the dyads are able to induce cellular DNA damage response, which is not limited to the telomeric regions and is likely the origin of their cytotoxicity. Both absorption titration and dynamic light scattering of the most cytotoxic dyads in the presence of hTel22 highlight their ability to induce effective G4 aggregation, acting as non-covalent cross-linking agents

An overview of the first 5 years of the ENIGMA obsessive–compulsive disorder working group: The power of worldwide collaboration

Abstract Neuroimaging has played an important part in advancing our understanding of the neurobiology of obsessive?compulsive disorder (OCD). At the same time, neuroimaging studies of OCD have had notable limitations, including reliance on relatively small samples. International collaborative efforts to increase statistical power by combining samples from across sites have been bolstered by the ENIGMA consortium; this provides specific technical expertise for conducting multi-site analyses, as well as access to a collaborative community of neuroimaging scientists. In this article, we outline the background to, development of, and initial findings from ENIGMA's OCD working group, which currently consists of 47 samples from 34 institutes in 15 countries on 5 continents, with a total sample of 2,323 OCD patients and 2,325 healthy controls. Initial work has focused on studies of cortical thickness and subcortical volumes, structural connectivity, and brain lateralization in children, adolescents and adults with OCD, also including the study on the commonalities and distinctions across different neurodevelopment disorders. Additional work is ongoing, employing machine learning techniques. Findings to date have contributed to the development of neurobiological models of OCD, have provided an important model of global scientific collaboration, and have had a number of clinical implications. Importantly, our work has shed new light on questions about whether structural and functional alterations found in OCD reflect neurodevelopmental changes, effects of the disease process, or medication impacts. We conclude with a summary of ongoing work by ENIGMA-OCD, and a consideration of future directions for neuroimaging research on OCD within and beyond ENIGMA